schilling



Oct. 2, 1923.

' J. M. SCHILLING SIGN Filed Dec. 13, 1 19 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR. JOHN M 5cH/LL/Ne.

A TTORNEY.

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Filed Dec. 13, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I i E i l l I I a I; I H

WITNESS: INVENTOR. \J-OHNM SCH/LUNG mzf A TTORNE Y.

Oct. 2, 1923. l

J. M. SCHILLING SIGN Filed Dec. 13, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 G WW R y. wim m m H WITNESS.-

Oct. 2, 1923. 1,469,396

J. M. SCHILLING SIGN Filed Dec. 15, 1.9 4 Sheets- Sheet 4 W I TNESS: I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 2, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. SCEILLING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FRED PARKER, OF CHICAGO,

. ILLINOIS.

SIGN.

Application filed December 13, 1919. Serial No. 344,683.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN M. Sonnmrxe, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signs, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved sign of the kind used for artificial illumination by projecting light preferably from electric lamps, therethrough.

My sign is characterized by a construction which simplifies the manner of assembling the different characters and letters in the same frame to spell different words as desired and retaining said characters in assembled relation and by my invention I also provide an improved appearance of sign of the kind under consideration.

My invention will best be "understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which i 1 Fig.1 shows my sign in assembled relation in front elevation,

Fig. 2 showsin a view similar to Fig. 1 the assembled sign with some of the character elements removed and with the frame work in partial cross section to show the construction of the same,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 taken along the line 3-3,

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the parts shown in Fig. 1 taken along the line 4-4,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the character elements of the sign to an enlarged scale,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the element shown in Fig. 5 taken along the line 66,

Fig. 7 is a back view to a somewhat reduced scaleof the element shown in Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 showsin a view similar to Fig. 7

to a somewhat larger scale a different con-.

struct-ion of element, 7

Fig. 9 shows in front perspective View to an enlarged scale a character element n which the character is provided with an M enlarged outer face,

Fig. 10 IS a back view of one of the spacin elements employed,

Fig. 18 shows in a similar View a single Fig. 11 is a. sectional view of the element letter plate having a two-part letter of regular outline and special ties between the parts avoided by my invention.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the sign consists of a frame 15 made preferably of metal and of rectangular shape and adapted for use to enclose the front of a light box containing electric lamps for illuminating the sign, said box and electric lamps forming no part of the present invention and therefore not being shown. The frame 15 is provided with a rectangular opening around the edges of which, as more clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, channels are secured extending into the said frame to receive the sign elements. An upper channel 16, preferably of sheet metal, is contained in the upper part of the frame the channel extending upwardly in said frame and having its front edge portion bent at 17 over the front edge of the opening in the frame 15, the back edge of said channel being bent outwardly at substantially right angles to the adjacent edge of the channel as indicated at 18, to reinforce the channel construction. A. lower channel 19 similarly formed engages the lower edge of the opening through the frame 15 the only difference being that the channel 19 is considerably shallower than the channel 16 fora purpose to be described. A similar channel 20 extends into each of the side members of the frame 15, said chan nel 20 being formed similarly to the channel 16 and 19 and similarly secured to the frame 15. There'is thus provided a channel construction extending entirely around the frame secured to the front wall thereof by folding the edge of the channel members over said frame and preferably by soldering or brazing the parts together to reenforce.

per edges of thesign elements are contained.

in the channel 16, and the depth of the chanof the sign elements so that they may be in the channels, 16

be employed as desired to space the letters outside element or in the sign.

edge formed into an flange being; off-set sufficiently so that it en for'receiving a'backing plate of material 23 and insures that the said back ing 22 formed through the si nel 16 is such that when the sign elements are raised as indicated for the letter in 1n- Fig. 2 the lower edges of the sign elements clear the upper edge of the upper part of the channel 19 thus permitting the sign-elements to be removed from the frame and other sign elements inserted therein-as desired. The sign elements may have openings 22 cut through them in any desired conformation to represent characters or letters; andto distribute the light from the source of'iliumination through the said openings, Iprefer to employ back ofsaid openings individual plates :23 of translucent material, which plates are of substantially the height sorted and removed from and 19 in the manner above described for the sign elements. Spacing elements 24 ithout light. openings through them may or characters of the sigin said spacing membersbein of substantiali Y the same height p I i.

as' the sign elements and the translucent backing plates, saidspacing members being preferably constructed of metal as are the sign elements. When the S gn elements and spacing members are assembled in the desired relation in the channels in the manner above referred to they may be held in said position'against lateral movement by a suitable locking device, such for example, as a scren 25 extending through the front Wall oftheframe and engaging the edge of the spacing member mounted As indicated in Figs. 5 and 6 each of the sign elements made preferably of sheet metal and has one of its edges folded or bent as indicated atfll and has its other -set flange 21", said ing plate is held in proper 'relat-ion'relatirely tothe opening through the element. As shown in Fig. 5 the light openn element- '21 has extending fron'i its edges outwardly a strip of sheet material 26 bent to the conformation of the opening 22 and secured to the edge thereof. This serves to direct light from the opening outwardly and gives ha more substantial appearanceto the character or letter formed in the sign element. The strip 26 preferably extends through the opening 22 and, as shown in Fig. 7 it. has formed on its inner edge an outwardly ex* tending flange 26* engaging the fiat surface of the sign element 21 and preferably se cured thereto by means of solder or brazing. The flange 269' may be continuous as indicated in Fig. 7, except at the angles in the edges of the light opening 522; Where it notched to permit bending said strip to conform with said angles. When the strip is to be used in connection with rounded openings it is desirable to changethe nature of this flange as shown at 26 in Fig. 8, theconstruction of the sign element being in other respects the same. As shown in Fig. 8 the flange 26 is notched in such a manner as to form a succession of teeth so that the strip 26 may be bent in the form of a curve as desirec with letters and characters having rounded edges. Another important advantage of forming the strip 26 with tooth flanges is that the strip may be inanufao turcd in quantity before being used and then cut up and used for any desired characters or letters Whether straight sided or round sided. The flanges 26" and 26 are important in that they form a strong connection between the strip forming abor der for the character or letter and the sign element as a result of which the strip is not.

v readily separated from the sign element.

The strip referred to preferably extends through the light opening in the sign element and the flanges referred to as formed on said strip are preferably secured to the back face of the sign element and in this manner the said strip may be secured to the sign element. by brazing or soldering not only ont-he back otthe sign elements but also on the front between the front face of the sign element and the outstanding portion of the strip.

By the constructiondescribed, the 'c-harae- 7' ters and letters of my sign are clearly visi ble, not only froin direetly in front of the sign but also from either end thereof since the inner surface of the bent strips is illuminated at night by the light passing through the light openings and in the daytime the outer surface of said strips produce the same condition of side visibility, particularly when said strips are painted or otherwise colored in contrast with the color of the outer surface of the sign elements and spacing members. The use of the flange-referred to on the outer edge of said bent strips, increases the daylight visibility, particularly when said flange is distinctively colored or finished.

As shown in Figs. 10 and 11 the spacing member 2a is formed preferably in the same manner as the sign elements above referred to, the only difference being that there is no light opening through said spacing member.

It will be understood that while I have shown my sign as embodied above in a sectional construction that where desired, the light openings may be formed in the same plate to represent the various desired characters and letters in case a tired sign is do sired and that a continuous sheet of translucent material may be used back of the light openings forming the letters and characters if preferred or that saidsheet of material may be transparent instead of translucent although I find-that translucent material gives better light diffusion through the let-- ter and character openings. I prefer however to form the backing plate in sections as it is more readily handled, more readily shipped and less liable to breakage. It will also be understood that I may use the im proved features of my sign construction either singly or in combination as above described.

In Fig. 13, a letter plate 28 is shown having the letter 0 formed therein, of regular conformation and ties or bridges 29 connecting the body portion of the plate with the otherwise loose opaque center or island 30 of the letter. The letter shown is representative of all letters of this class for example A, B, D, P, Q and R ant. the numerals 6, 8, 9 and O, which I designate herein as closed characters to distinguish from other letters and numerals which may be designated as open characters. iVith each of these letters and numerals, when of regular construction, similar ties must be used to support the otherwise loose centers unless the centers are individually secured to the corresponding translucent plates. here the ties are used an unpleasant appearance is produced, since the ties produce extra shadows forming no part of the letter and numeral outline. Where the ties are not used and the centers are secured to the translucent plates, it is difiicult to form and locate the centers to preserve the proper relation between their edges and the edges of the openings through the opaque letter plates. By my improved construction shown in Fig. 12, I avoid all these difliculties, by a special conformation of letters in the letter plates 31, such that the centers 32 are connected by narrow portions 33 of the plates with said plates, said narrow portions in effect forming ties but at the same time constituting a part of the outlines of the special form of letters employed. These special ties therefore produce no unpleasant effect and at the same time serve to positively locate and hold the centers of the letters so that additional fastening devices are not required for said centers. In other respects the sign elements may be formed in substantially the manner described for the sign elements shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive and when so formed, the outstanding edge strips reinforce said narrow connecting portions to give stable support to said centers.

Vhile I' have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above (ilescribed, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this exact construction as I may em ploy equivalents known to the art at the time of the filing of this application without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

hat I claim is:

1. A character. for a sign, comprising a plate having a light opening therethrough in the form of a closed character having an outer outline and a center, and a narrow supporting portion extending from the body portion of said plate to said center forming a part of the outline of the character.

2. A character for a sign, comprising a plate having a light opening therethrough in the form of a closed character having an outer outline and a center, and a narrow supporting portion extending from the body portion of said plate to said center forming a part of the outline of the character, and a strip of sheet material upstanding from said plate around the outline of said character, and reinforcing said narrow supporting portion.

3. A frame for receiving sign elements comprising a first channel frame of sheet metal. having a central sight opening and having its back away from said opening, and a second channel frame of similar conformation disposed in the channel of said first frame and having flanges extending through the opening of said first frame and secured to the edges of said first frame.

l. In a sign, the combination of a frame having a channel extending around the in nor edge of its sides and ends, sign elements for insertion in said side channels, said'ele ments being shorter than the distance between the bottoms of said side channels, and one of said side channels being deeper than the other to permit swinging said elements into position in said frame and retaining them in said position, said elements having overlapping edges extending transversely of the frame preventing swinging any one of said elements in overlapped relation from said frame individually, and clamping means at one end of said frame for holding said elements filling the frame in overlapped edge relation to prevent removal of the elements from the frame] -5. As a means for forming outstanding faces of sign characters, a strip of sheet metal havingone edge turned at substantially right angles to form a continuous outstanding supporting flange, said flange being closely notchedthroughout its length, whereby said strip may be readily conformed to the straight and curved sides and'bent at the angles of characters of any shape without further adaptation.

6. As a character element for use in. an electric sign having a light box with a display opening for receiving unit character elements in various combinations with. unit lciackingplates of light transmitting material readily interchangeable with .diitterent character elements, the combination oi. a base plate of sheet metal having an unobstructed openingtherethrough in the form of a desired character, a sheet metal flange projecting outwardly from the base plate around the entire boundary of said character opening, and a second sheet metal flange projec-ting from the outer edge of said first flange in a plane substantially parallel with said 7. As a character element for use in an" electric sign having a light box with a'display opening for receiving unit character elements in various combinations with'unit backing platesot' light transmitting material readily interchangeable with different character elements, the combination of a base plate of sheet metal having an unobstructed opening therethrough in the form of a desired character, and a sheet metal flange projecting outwardly from the base plate around the entire boundary of said character opening, whereby an unobstructed light beam in the form of the desired character may pass through said base plate and outwardly between the parts of said flange to and beyond theouter edge thereof.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 8th day of December, A. D. 1919.

JOHN M. SCHILLING. 

